Age Difference
by HerNamewasAlice
Summary: It was strange. They were together for three months but she never asked about his age or even wondered how old he was until now.


**A/N: wanted to this story because their ages haven't been addressed in most fanfics. I'm debating if this will be a two part story or three. ENJOY! :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

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><p>There were a lot of things that Rapunzel didn't know about. Her whole life she was kept in a tower and now she was out in the world - learning about being a princess - building a relationship with her parents who were strangers to her - and the rules that society had implanted. She wasn't used to any of it - especially trying to be family when she was eighteen - an adult. The rules of society puzzled her too - she wasn't used to wearing shoes and being forced to stay in the castle. Since she was a princess, she had to stay protected and watched at all times and she wasn't allowed to go out as much. This bothered her tremendously - she spent her whole life controlled - away from anyone else besides someone who claimed to be her mother but Rapunzel knew she had to live up to her responsibilities but isn't her responsibility to go out to the world and learn about her people? The problems?<p>

It wasn't.

She was a princess. She wasn't supposed to worry about issues like that or think for that matter. She was supposed to be focused on etiquette and beauty and fashion and dancing and all that stuff that wasn't important to her. Rapunzel loved exploring - reading - being as well rounded as she could. Of course a princess had to be well rounded but the main focus was how people perceived her and nothing else.

The only person that brought comfort to her and who she could be herself - the strange, energetic, curious, and unconventional girl she really was on the inside, was Flynn. She called him Flynn still after three months of knowing him but on occasions she would address him by his real name when she didn't approve his cocky behavior.

Their relationship was going well but Flynn hated how he couldn't see her as much as he pleased. She was eighteen but he had to receive permission from her parents that he could see her and he couldn't even have her past out by eight. The most time they could spend together was four hours. The worst part was that they had to have guards everywhere they went. Flynn understood how much her parents loved her and that they just got her back and didn't want her to be taken away again but this was too much. So today, he decided to change things a bit.

He secretly made his way to the castle and broke in to her room. It was night time and he found her on her bed, writing in some book. "Are you writing in your diary?" he whispered in her ear.

She gasped slightly but the second she saw she face, she smiled.

"Hi Blondie," he smirked. "Did you miss-

She jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly.

Flynn laughed and kissed her forehead. She opened her mouth but he placed a finger on his lips, gesturing her to speak in a low voice. Rapunzel giggled to herself and she knew very well no one knew he was here. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and figured we should do something," he crookedly smiled. "Let's go out, you and me."

"It's late though," she said casually with a cheeky look on her face.

"For the love of god it's eight thirty at night and you're eighteen, you're an adult. Come on - let's go out - did you eat?"

Her stomach growled and she turned red. "Does small portions of salad and bread count?"

"If you're a rabbit." Flynn laughed and took her by the hand, leading them to the window. "Lucky for you, I made us a lovely dinner at my place." Since he returned Rapunzel to her parents, he was given him a cash reward; enough to finally get himself a home and pay for food. It wasn't a fancy home, it was small and quaint.

Her heart skipped a beat. "I-I never been to your place before." She felt very nervous but she didn't know why. It was instinct, how she was feeling.

"Well this will be your first time then," he coaxed her, kissing her on the lips.

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><p>His house was small, smaller than a cottage but she liked it. It was warm, quaint, and homely. It was simple and she liked it. She wasn't used to the luxuries of the castle and she loved a place that was lived in and slightly cluttered but not too cluttered. "You get to live here?" she asked fondly while kicking off her shoes willfully.<p>

He chuckled. "Of course where do you think I live? In a hole or under bridge?"

Rapunzel went red. "No...," she denied poorly as she made way to the fireplace. He was making a fire and she was eagerly waiting with her hands up to feel the warmth of the flames. "I miss this -

"Miss what?" he chuckled.

"This - the comfort - the simplicity. The strangest thing is that -" her eyes were lowering - they were caught and absorbed with the dancing flames - "I had more freedom being trapped in a tower than here - out here with people."

He frowned.

"At the tower I could wear whatever I wanted to - I could be loud and dance everywhere - paint the whole tower - but not in the castle," she exhaled.

"They love you Rapunzel. They really do. They just want to make things right and right now you're just learning. That's why they make you have tutors and make you study the whole day - they want to help you learn about the world. And eventually they'll slowly give you more freedom."

"I know but I always dreamed about exploring - traveling - having my own little place - to live on my own."

"You still can."

"Yeah but I'm a princess," she looked so sad when she said it. Her eyes seemed disconnected to the word. "And I understand I have to live with my responsibilities but eventually I'll be queen and rule the kingdom but that's not me."

"When the time comes, you'll be ready," he sat beside her.

She naturally fell into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm scared, Eugene."

He took a deep breath. "I know but in time you won't be. It just takes time but you'll be ready when the time comes." He buried his face in her short brown hair. "I love you."

"I love you too."

There was a slight pause.

"Eugene?" she said in almost a statement.

"Yeah?"

"The tutors explained to me about marriage - that it's an everlasting union between two people - would you ever want that - with me?"

His eyes widened. They were only together for three months. He opened his mouth-

"I mean not right now," she quickly corrected in a babble. She started to mess with her hair. "I mean in time - I mean."

_Oh,_ he thought to himself. He was relieved."I mean yeah I want to marry you - when the time's right like at least a year from now."

"Would you be happy - with me?"

"Yeah of course," he laughed. "I would be the happiest guy that ever lived and we would be happy forever and have the whole 'they lived happily ever after' thing and all that pazazzz. Like fireworks and stuff and apples for the horse."

Rapunzel chuckled, her dimples were visible now.

"Yeah but for now we'll learn about each other until the reasonable time to marry comes. Like favorite color -

"Yours is teal."

"Okay how about favorite food?" he started to test her.

"Anything you don't have to cook or get from the trash and you prefer beef on the edge of rare."

"How about favorite season?"

"Flu season because people are vulnerable when you go on a stealing spree."

"Okay smart one. How old am I?"

There was a short pause. "How old are you?"

It was a strange thing. They were together for three months but she never asked about his age or even wondered how old he was until now.

"Twenty six," he said.

"Twenty six?" her eyes widened.

"Is that a problem? I mean you're legal - it's not like I kissed you or did anything to you when you were underaged." Although meeting her on the day she turned eighteen did seem odd and strangely convenient.

"No," she said. "It's just I always thought we were the same age and that you had a growth spurt."

"Mental age yeah but yeah I'm older but it's only an eight year difference. It doesn't even matter a lot of princesses from many kingdoms are married off at sixteen to eighteen to some thirty to forty something guy that they don't even know about."

"Yeah I know," she smiled. "I mean it explains things why you're so much bigger than me." She compared her waist with her hands to his.

Flynn couldn't help but to be amused and turned on by this. "Yeah but I'm a man," he said, putting his hands on her waist and pulling her to him. "I'm naturally built to be bigger than you."

"Why is that?" she asked unaware of what he was thinking.

"Let me show you."

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><p><em><strong>To be Continued...<strong>_

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><p><strong>AN: Flynn's age is actually twenty six and it's been confirmed by the directors of Tangled**

**Please review!**


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